Wayne Rooney swaps DC for Birmingham

Former Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney has been appointed manager of Birmingham City, the second-tier Championship club said on Wednesday.

Former DC United coach Rooney has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham and replaces John Eustace, who was sacked on Monday with the Midlands side sixth in the standings, 12 points behind runaway leaders Leicester City.

DC disappointment

Rooney’s arrival in 2018 at the MLS club provided an injection of character and personality for the team, who initially reacted well to the drive and ambition of the coach to achieve a place in the playoffs in MLS. However, Rooney leaving the club just 18 months after joining from Derby County has sunk the club from the capital to new depths after they failed to secure a place in the top 9 and a place in the 2023 postseason.

“I did everything that was in my hands to get the club to the playoffs”, said Rooney. The key to everything, at the end of the day, is the fact that performance dropped due to a lack of investment in the side, something Rooney repeatedly asked for but never received.

Championship challenge

Birmingham City aka The Blues, long considered one of the sleeping giants of the game in England have suffered financial problems in recent years, until American businessman Tom Wagner bought the team last July.

Since then, they have received financial backing from stars such as Tom Brady, which has secured the club’s existence and avoided points penalties.

Rooney’s first game in charge will be an away trip to the North East to face Middlesbrough (on 21 October) with a place in the playoffs this season the minimum objective for the new head coach.

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Birmingham City Chief Executive Officer, Garry Cook, said: “We are incredibly excited by Wayne’s arrival. When the opportunity presents itself to appoint a manager who shares your ambition and is both a student and a great of the game, then you act. This is what we have done”.